285: Stan Grant

Stan Grant is an Australian television news and political journalist. He is currently the ABC's indigenous and international affairs analyst, and professor of global affairs at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia.

He’s written a number of books, two which absolutely stand out are Talking to My Country, and his latest book Australia Day.

You see Stan is an Aboriginal First Nation Australian man.

His father was an elder of the Wiradjuri people - a country that stretches across central NSW - from Wagga Wagga and Leeton to West Wyalong, Parkes, Dubbo, Forbes, Cootamundra, Cowra and Young among other places.

Stan has spent much of his career abroad - covering conflict, has witnessed the unimaginable horrors of war, and has lived for years in countries far from his own.

These days, Stan is back and he’s written a book called Australia Day.

A book about not just about a difficult day in our community - the 26th of January, the day we as a nation celebrate Captain Cook planting a flag and declaring this country for England - for some it’s the day that Australia as we know it began. For others it’s the day that Australia as they knew it ended.

It’s a complex thing to talk about. There’s a lot of emotion around what it is to be Australian, and the role of the legacy of colonialism on us all, Indigenous or otherwise - and where we go from here. It’s a hot-button topic. One that deserves a long conversation and a deep exploration. It’s no accident I’m putting this out at the start of national reconciliation week 2019.

So let’s go. Come to my house and enjoy a cuppa and a conversation with a man that speaks as if he’s free styling poetry, Stan Grant.

LINKS:

• Watch episodes of Better Than Yesterday on YouTube
• Watch Story Club on YouTube and grab tickets to Story Club's next show
• My books So What? Now What? and Back After The Break are available here
• Send a pic of what you're looking at to sendosheremail@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.